England Training Squad

[morepork]

You should get another fly half in. There are only four there.

[Mellsblue]

That’s a record low.

[morepork]

Who would win a 100 metre sprint between Haskel Brown and Nowell?

[Mikey Brown]

Me, by a fucking mile, but it would be hard viewing.

[Timbo]

It’s just a training squad and LCD is only a handful of games back.

A similar situation coming back from injury for Haskell, Nowell, Te'o, Billy V, the only real difference for LCD being he has played really well since coming back,

LCD is coming back from micro-fracture knee surgery though, which is a pretty major deal. I have no idea if EJ has taken that into account, but personally i’m pretty interested to see how LCD’s knee holds up over the next 6-12 months.

[Mellsblue]

Me, by a fucking mile, but it would be hard viewing.

Like watching paint dry but slower.

[Banquo]

Fecking Haskell!!!

No LCD, no Lowoski....pants

Overrated coach

But he still picks Farrell.

The big, nay massive stupidity is the absolute lack of a plan b at 9.

[Digby]

Fecking Haskell!!!

No LCD, no Lowoski....pants

Overrated coach

But he still picks Farrell.

The big, nay massive stupidity is the absolute lack of a plan b at 9.

It's been said before but plan B is Wigglesworth doing exactly what he's known for.

Plan C is to find an outstanding young talent

[16th man]

Plan C is to find an outstanding young talent who actually gets picked by his club

FTFY

[Digby]

Plan C is to find an outstanding young talent who actually gets picked by his club

FTFY

I don't think that's how Eddie would look at it. If he saw the player he wanted he'd move anyway, but simply he doesn't see the player he wants

[Banquo]

Fecking Haskell!!!

No LCD, no Lowoski....pants

Overrated coach

But he still picks Farrell.

The big, nay massive stupidity is the absolute lack of a plan b at 9.

It's been said before but plan B is Wigglesworth doing exactly what he's known for.

Plan C is to find an outstanding young talent

Is that right? Given Wiggy has never started under Eddie, something of a stretch- but you seem thoroughly convinced so it must be so.

[Digby]

But he still picks Farrell.

The big, nay massive stupidity is the absolute lack of a plan b at 9.

It's been said before but plan B is Wigglesworth doing exactly what he's known for.

Plan C is to find an outstanding young talent

Is that right?

Wiggle you mean? It'd make sense, ignoring the wider intent is a little barking, and he could pair him with Farrell and Billy V avoiding as much as possible the problem of picking a new player

[Banquo]

It's been said before but plan B is Wigglesworth doing exactly what he's known for.

Plan C is to find an outstanding young talent

Is that right?

Wiggle you mean? It'd make sense, ignoring the wider intent is a little barking, and he could pair him with Farrell and Billy V avoiding as much as possible the problem of picking a new player

Wiggle? I think he certainly needs to get a wiggle on finding a 9.

[Digby]

Wiggle? I think he certainly needs to get a wiggle on finding a 9.

I agree he should be picking someone else, but he hasn't, so he either needs to see something in Robson he hasn't seen so far, or find an amazing new talent going into the WC, or he can pick someone who knows what they're about who's very familiar with a well known 8 and 10. He's surely going to have to name 3 scrum halves in the WC squad, and Wiggle(sworth) would also come with the advantage of not disrupting the squad

[Banquo]

Wiggle? I think he certainly needs to get a wiggle on finding a 9.

I agree he should be picking someone else, but he hasn't, so he either needs to see something in Robson he hasn't seen so far, or find an amazing new talent going into the WC, or he can pick someone who knows what they're about who's very familiar with a well known 8 and 10. He's surely going to have to name 3 scrum halves in the WC squad, and Wiggle(sworth) would also come with the advantage of not disrupting the squad

....he will also be 36 come the World Cup. May seem logical to you, seems bizarre to me, though on the same scale as betting the house on Youngs and Care.

[Digby]

Wiggle? I think he certainly needs to get a wiggle on finding a 9.

I agree he should be picking someone else, but he hasn't, so he either needs to see something in Robson he hasn't seen so far, or find an amazing new talent going into the WC, or he can pick someone who knows what they're about who's very familiar with a well known 8 and 10. He's surely going to have to name 3 scrum halves in the WC squad, and Wiggle(sworth) would also come with the advantage of not disrupting the squad

....he will also be 36 come the World Cup. May seem logical to you, seems bizarre to me, though on the same scale as betting the house on Youngs and Care.

He's going to have to name more than the 2 in the squad or he could lose one from the tournament for a short term injury. I don't like the idea to be clear, but if he's not going to pick someone else soon I really don't see what his other options are, allowing that if his other options included Robson I can't see why he wouldn't have played by now

[Spiffy]

It’s just a training squad and LCD is only a handful of games back.

A similar situation coming back from injury for Haskell, Nowell, Te'o, Billy V, the only real difference for LCD being he has played really well since coming back,

LCD is coming back from micro-fracture knee surgery though, which is a pretty major deal. I have no idea if EJ has taken that into account, but personally i’m pretty interested to see how LCD’s knee holds up over the next 6-12 months.

I doubt that the state of LCD's knee influences Eddie's selection. Like any other player, he could get injured/re-injured in the next game. At present he is fit and firing on all cylinders and should be there on merit. George and LCD are the best English hookers at the moment - well ahead of the uber-rated Hartley. (I am still looking for evidence of Hartley's "leadership", and find him as ordinary in this aspect of his game as in all other aspects.)

[Digby]

I don't doubt Hartley is very good in camp and communicates well between Eddie and the players, I'm just not sold it makes up for him being somewhere between meh and solid at test level, and certainly not when a few other players like Cole are (these days) somewhere between meh and solid.

[Banquo]

I agree he should be picking someone else, but he hasn't, so he either needs to see something in Robson he hasn't seen so far, or find an amazing new talent going into the WC, or he can pick someone who knows what they're about who's very familiar with a well known 8 and 10. He's surely going to have to name 3 scrum halves in the WC squad, and Wiggle(sworth) would also come with the advantage of not disrupting the squad

....he will also be 36 come the World Cup. May seem logical to you, seems bizarre to me, though on the same scale as betting the house on Youngs and Care.

He's going to have to name more than the 2 in the squad or he could lose one from the tournament for a short term injury. I don't like the idea to be clear, but if he's not going to pick someone else soon I really don't see what his other options are, allowing that if his other options included Robson I can't see why he wouldn't have played by now

Of course he will have to name a 3rd, and it remains an extrapolation that Care and Youngs will still be fit and up to it (assuming they are now!) when both over 30; I think stating that the 3rd would be Wiggie (let alone Wiggle ), who by then will be 36 and who hasn't started a game under Eddie and who is an entirely different style to the other two, and further would change the whole 'finishers' dynamic...to be odd. Mind its not the first time.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Graham is quite clearly a pick to try wind up the Scots.

[Oakboy]

....he will also be 36 come the World Cup. May seem logical to you, seems bizarre to me, though on the same scale as betting the house on Youngs and Care.

He's going to have to name more than the 2 in the squad or he could lose one from the tournament for a short term injury. I don't like the idea to be clear, but if he's not going to pick someone else soon I really don't see what his other options are, allowing that if his other options included Robson I can't see why he wouldn't have played by now

Of course he will have to name a 3rd, and it remains an extrapolation that Care and Youngs will still be fit and up to it (assuming they are now!) when both over 30; I think stating that the 3rd would be Wiggie (let alone Wiggle ), who by then will be 36 and who hasn't started a game under Eddie and who is an entirely different style to the other two, and further would change the whole 'finishers' dynamic...to be odd. Mind its not the first time.

Maybe, Eddie is just waiting till Spencer overtakes Wigglesworth as 1st choice at Sarries.

[Banquo]

He's going to have to name more than the 2 in the squad or he could lose one from the tournament for a short term injury. I don't like the idea to be clear, but if he's not going to pick someone else soon I really don't see what his other options are, allowing that if his other options included Robson I can't see why he wouldn't have played by now

Of course he will have to name a 3rd, and it remains an extrapolation that Care and Youngs will still be fit and up to it (assuming they are now!) when both over 30; I think stating that the 3rd would be Wiggie (let alone Wiggle ), who by then will be 36 and who hasn't started a game under Eddie and who is an entirely different style to the other two, and further would change the whole 'finishers' dynamic...to be odd. Mind its not the first time.

Maybe, Eddie is just waiting till Spencer overtakes Wigglesworth as 1st choice at Sarries.

Frankly, I don't get why Robson isn't in the frame, as he'd fit the current model of the team perfectly. Wiggy would require a major change imo, and as I said will be past it come the RWC, even if up to it today (marginal)

[Oakboy]

Frankly, I don't get why Robson isn't in the frame, as he'd fit the current model of the team perfectly. Wiggy would require a major change imo, and as I said will be past it come the RWC, even if up to it today (marginal)

Eddie does appear to have fixations on some players - unless he doesn't like Wasps? He was reluctant to pick Daley to start with. He's never rated Launchbury as highly as logic suggested. He's been on and off Haskell. He's had no time for Cipriani, Robson or Wade. Who knows about Taylor? If he was going to try an apprentice flanker why not Willis? He seems to like Hughes, though so . . .

[Digby]

....he will also be 36 come the World Cup. May seem logical to you, seems bizarre to me, though on the same scale as betting the house on Youngs and Care.

He's going to have to name more than the 2 in the squad or he could lose one from the tournament for a short term injury. I don't like the idea to be clear, but if he's not going to pick someone else soon I really don't see what his other options are, allowing that if his other options included Robson I can't see why he wouldn't have played by now

Of course he will have to name a 3rd, and it remains an extrapolation that Care and Youngs will still be fit and up to it (assuming they are now!) when both over 30; I think stating that the 3rd would be Wiggie (let alone Wiggle ), who by then will be 36 and who hasn't started a game under Eddie and who is an entirely different style to the other two, and further would change the whole 'finishers' dynamic...to be odd. Mind its not the first time.

Wiggle is still hitting really good fitness results, and Sarries can look after him with Spencer playing more. It seems risky to me, and a pointless risk at that, but given he doesn't seem to rate Robson I can't see another plan that has more logic behind it than through in someone without experience who doesn't know the 8 and 10s and hope for the best.

[Banquo]

He's going to have to name more than the 2 in the squad or he could lose one from the tournament for a short term injury. I don't like the idea to be clear, but if he's not going to pick someone else soon I really don't see what his other options are, allowing that if his other options included Robson I can't see why he wouldn't have played by now

Of course he will have to name a 3rd, and it remains an extrapolation that Care and Youngs will still be fit and up to it (assuming they are now!) when both over 30; I think stating that the 3rd would be Wiggie (let alone Wiggle ), who by then will be 36 and who hasn't started a game under Eddie and who is an entirely different style to the other two, and further would change the whole 'finishers' dynamic...to be odd. Mind its not the first time.

Wiggle is still hitting really good fitness results, and Sarries can look after him with Spencer playing more. It seems risky to me, and a pointless risk at that, but given he doesn't seem to rate Robson I can't see another plan that has more logic behind it than through in someone without experience who doesn't know the 8 and 10s and hope for the best.

Hardly relevant to 2019 though. Vunipola may not be there, and the 10 may not be Farrell. Frankly, having his style of play is more disruptive than say Robson, as the whole dynamic would change. Its an odd call, and as I said, he has yet to feature under Eddie, even to Argentina when Youngs wasn't available. Asserting he is plan b is scary to me.

(And who calls him Wiggle??)